


Strangled by unrequited Love

by Elydy138



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: I want happy too, I'm trying angst, Idon'tregretthis, hanahaki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-06 01:25:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13400520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elydy138/pseuds/Elydy138
Summary: During a strange akuma attack, Ladybug is contaminate by a petal. And she discovers the existence of the "hanahaki disease"Added an alternative ending, for those who want sweet and happy ;)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for a dear friend, who happens to lot angst very much ;D  
> Love you Morgana <3

It was a pleasant and peaceful day in Paris. 

Alya, Nino and Adrien stopped by a park, resting on a bench. It had been a good afternoon, especially because Adrien’s father let the boy went outside without an escort. But Alya was upset that Marinette wasn’t able to come, her parents needed helped at the bakery. 

So the three of them decided to go the Dupain-Cheng house, to see if the girl could be released from her duty. Of course, complications crossed their way. A new akuma victim, a girl in a dark red dress, who called herself Flowerdoom, spread a gigantic black cloud over the entire city. As soon as they realise what was happening, they took cover in a deserted shop, hiding behind the racks.

At first, nothing happened. 

Suddenly, the door opened, and a strong wind entered the room. But it was not cold, or even warm. No. That wind was carrying  _petals_ . Thousand petals, flying around the space. By instincts, no one touched them. But Adrien could feel this  _was not a good omen_ . 

 

On the other side of the street, Marinette could also see that new akuma spreading petals all over, vaguely fascinate by the way they were _moving_. As if they were _searching for something_.  But she couldn't let it stop her, as she had a job to do. After making sure that her parents were safe, she ran to her room, called Tikki, and transform into Ladybug. The girl went to another building, far away from her house. There, she still had a view on the akuma girl. Strangest thing was, that enemy wasn’t moving at all. As if she was _waiting_. 

That wasn’t new. All the akumas knew that, as soon as they attacked, Ladybug and Chat Noir would come to stop them. So the element of surprise was not her best chance in this, especially without Chat. Hid behind a chimney, Ladybug was keeping an eye on the girl. Beside the petal storm, nothing looked very dangerous about that one. Even if she was alone, she could make it. The only problem left was about the akuma itself. If she could see the object that transformed the girl…

Ladybug then spotted the flower earring on the girl’s ear, and noticed it was purple. Just like an object possessed by an akuma. Decided to finish this quickly, Ladybug slowly moved to be behind the girl, and took her chance. The girl didn’t see her coming. 

But Ladybug didn’t see what was coming to her either. The petal whirlwind rose even more stronger, and attacked the hero girl. She tried to destroy the petals with her yo-yo, but she couldn’t handle them all. Especially one, who ran into her mouth and which she accidentally swallowed. 

Troubled by the feeling of the plant into her throat, Ladybug began coughing, and the akumatized girl seized this opportunity to run away. 

But before she disappeared, Flowerdoom taunted the hero girl. 

“Ever heard of  _ hanahaki _ , Ladybug? Let’s see how long you’ll survive this!” 

And with that, the akuma vanished, in a gust of petals. 

After losing Flowerdoom, Ladybug tried to track her down, but her throat was too painful to let her focus. So she went back to her home, relieved to see that her parents didn’t notice her absence. She was coughing more often, and was barely able to speak. When she turned on the TV to see if someone located the akumatized girl, she hardly heard Nadja Chamak talking. 

“This new akuma has spread a peculiar disease. The people who got attacked directly by the petals are throwing up flowers.”

Hearing that, Marinette wanted to let out a scream of surprise, but she only succeeded to spit petals. She froze, startled. She followed the petals with the eyes. Horrified, she covered her mouth with her hands and turned to Tikki. The kwami was as much terrified as her charge, but she quickly came around. 

“The girl talked about something, before she left. Do you remember what it was?” 

Marinette nodded, puzzled. 

“Look into it, maybe that will help with your… current situation.”

So the bluette, still covering her mouth with one hand, trying to search information about the  _ hanahaki _ the akuma mentioned. And needless to say, she was even more horrified of the results. 

“ _Unrequited_ _love_? What am I gonna do with that? How am I gonna cure myself?” 

“It says that the disease can me cured if your love is returned.” 

“But… but… He doesn’t  _ love _ me! He only sees me as a  _ friend _ , remember?”

“Don’t lose hope, Marinette, I’m sure we can find a solution!” 

“HOW TIKKI? How do you want me to change his mind, knowing that he’s love with someone else?” 

“You don’t know that...”

“But I know he doesn’t love me.” 

“Listen… maybe we could...”

But the kwami froze, eyes widened in terror. Marinette started coughing again, and more and more petals were getting out of the girl’s mouth. This time, the scream escaped her throat. 

 

The day after that, when Marinette went to school, and everyone noticed something was off about her. 

She looked like she shut down herself, she didn’t smile as often as she used to, and she seemed overtired. Even more weird coming from her, she didn’t talked at all. They did see that she showed a note from her parents to their teachers, but no one could learn what it was saying. 

Marinette just kept her head down, her eyes lost in contemplation of something no one but her could see. Alya did try to get something out from her, but she stayed awfully silent. Even Adrien couldn’t shake her from that state. 

And of course, what happened when someone is down? The queen feels the need to make it worse.

Upset with all the attention Marinette was given, Chloe went to her during lunch break. The blonde blocked the way, preventing Marinette from running away, and faced her with a spiteful smile on her face. 

“What, bored already? You draw all this attention, and still you don’t spare even a word? What kind of spoiled brat are you?” Chloe sneered at Marinette. 

But the bluette stayed muted. So Chloe caught her by the arm, and shook her up quite strongly. Plus, she dug her nails into Marinette’s skin. The girl couldn’t help but letting out a cry of pain. Alya was about to push Chloe away when she saw something slipping out Marinette’s mouth. Even if the bluette was quick to cover her lips, Alya did recognize the petal. 

“Marinette… How? Why?” Alya said, completely stunned. 

“Oh, that’s how it is now?” Chloe snickered. “So you were hit by the akuma from yesterday? No big deal about it!”

And with that, the blonde released Marinette, scoffed, and left the classroom, Sabrina following her closely. 

The class went silent, for some seconds. Or course, Alya was quick to process, as always. She took Marinette by the hand, and led her outside the classroom. Nino and Adrien were struggling about following them or not, but their anxiety prevailed their potential fear of Alya’s wrath. So they caught up the girls, leaving the classroom in an uncomfortable silence. 

 

Alya went to the lockers, certain that no one would be there at this hour. Marinette sat on a bench, while Alya stayed up. She looked at the bluette, very concerned. 

“Okay, can you talk now?”

Marinette shook her head, looking depressed. 

“How did you get hit? You were supposed to be in the bakery!” Alya cried.

At that moment, the boys appeared, and Nino put his hands on her shoulder, trying to appease her. 

“Listen, Chloe just cornered her, maybe you should let her breathe.”

Which made the brunette sigh, but she did step back, just to let a little more space to her friend. Marinette seemed so sad, but didn’t lift her head. 

“Hey Mari, are you okay?” Adrien asked, kneeling in front of her. 

She shook her head again. Her throat was killing her. But she didn’t have the strength to talk, because she knew it would be even more painful. 

“It’ll be okay, we’ll find a solution. After all, Ladybug and Chat Noir can fix that.” Alya said, full of hope.

Marinette shrugged. She had given up any hope at this point. Noticing it, Nino ruffled her hair, messing her pigtails. 

“Don’t worry, Marinette. We’ll be here for you. You won’t be alone in this.”

Again, she shook her head. No way they get to see her slowly die by choking on her own blood. 

“Don’t lose hope, girl. I’m sure there is a way we can save you from this.” Alya said with a smile.

“...Can’t...” 

Marinette tried to clear her throat, only making it worse. But she needed to tell them, tell Alya, that it was not going to be fine for her. 

“It’s…  _ hana...haki _ . The… akuma… said it… before she… disa...ppeared...” 

She started coughing again, and this time, an entire flower got out of her mouth. And another, and another one. Strangely, the flowers weren’t the same. 

A gardenia, a primrose, an iris, and a carnation. All in shade of red with black edge. 1

Alya barely held by her scream, while the boys just looked at her friend, horrified. 

“What’s happening?! Marinette?!” Alya yelled, completely panicked. She sat beside Marinette, and rubbed her back to ease the pain. The bluette thanked her by a smile. 

“ _ Hanahaki _ , you said?” Adrien huffed, upset. “I think I heard that before but… I’m not sure.” 

“But that’s a good start. At least we have something to work on. I’ll do some research. Adrien, you coming?” Nino decided, already leaving the locker’s room.

“Uh… okay?” Adrien said, kinda unsure. 

He turned to Alya, who nodded to him, answering to his silent question. Then he looked at Marinette, and smiled at her. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll save you.”

 

When the boys left, Alya hugged Marinette tighter, as if she was trying to keep her friend together in one piece.

“You already know what’s happening, right?”

Another nod. 

“Can you explain it to me?”

Marinette took her tablet and started writing something in the note section. Alya waited patiently, even she felt restless. Something about Marinette’s expression wasn’t comforting. When Mari gave her the tablet, Alya frowned. That was quite long. She read in one go, feeling less and less confident. Saving Marinette could be impossible, and that fact hit the blogger girl quite hard. 

“We… need to catch that akuma and _fast_. I don’t want to loose you, girl. I can’t loose you!” Alya cried. She hugged Marinette, trembling. The bluette leaned her head on her friend’s shoulder. 

She couldn’t think of something else, because she didn’t want to disappoint Alya. After all, if her friends wanted to save her, she didn’t want to stop them. She really wanted to believe that it could be possible. 

But for that, she also knew that her love needed to be revealed and returned. And she had very few hopes for that happened before she died. 

1 � 

IRIS : Your Friendship Means So Much to Me; Faith; Hope; Wisdom and Valour

PRIMROSE - I Can't Live Without You 

CARNATION  Striped - No; Refusal; Sorry I Can't Be with You: Wish l Could Be with You 

GARDENIA - You're Lovely: Secret Love 


	2. Strangled by unrequited Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This won't go well for the girl, and she knows it.

In the library, the boys faced the same terror than Alya. Looking pages about “the hanahaki disease” on the internet did absolutely not appease them. They were even more afraid now, knowing that the victim only had three way out of this. But who would agree on operating someone with  _roots_ in their lungs? Was it even possible in this world? Defeated, the boys just sat in front the computer, staring blank into space. 

“They said it’s because of an unrequited love. Who couldn’t love Marinette, anyway?” Adrien sighed. 

Nino threw him a glance, without answering. 

“What?” 

“Dude, do _you_ love her?” 

“Yeah, I mean, she’s a great friend.”

“Hmm, a friend, uh.”

“Well… yeah? Why, is that a problem?”

“Not… really.”

_I shouldn’t tell him. Alya could kill me for that. I’m not even good with that kind of stuff…_ Nino thought, sighing. 

“Okay, we should go back to the girls.”

But Adrien did notice that his best friend was keeping something from him. And while they were leaving the library, he wondered about the  _real_ meaning of his question. 

“ _Dude, do_ _ **you**_ _love her?”_

_ What does that mean? Of course I love her, she’s my friend… What’s his problem with that?  _

Poor clueless boy… Little he knew, that Nino’s concern prevent him to tell him the truth he needed to hear…

After all, this had to be Marinette’s choice, not anyone’s else. 

But on that moment, Nino hated that oblivious side of his friend. He wished Adrien was more perceptive about Marinette’s feeling. Needless to say, he couldn’t interfere as much as he wanted to. 

When the boys came back, Alya knew they learned the truth about Marinette’s condition, because she was pretty sure she made the same expression when Marinette told her. But something on Nino’s face made her frown. She stoop up, took Nino by the arm, and dragged him outside. 

Leaving Adrien and Marinette alone. The bluette froze, certain that her best friend did it on purpose. 

She felt her cheeks burning, so hard it almost made her forgot the pain in her throat. 

Adrien sighed, amused by Alya’s behavior. If he knew that Nino was hiding something, he didn’t want to push him into saying it. Alya, however, was another story. As soon as she spotted something, nothing could take her mind off of it. 

“Well, good luck with that, Nino.” Adrien laughed. 

Marinette raised her head, looking curious. The boy turned to her, and his smile blinded her, for a short moment. 

“Nino is hiding something and Alya noticed it, so...”

The girl nodded with a grin. She was Alya’s best friend, after all. No way to keep anything from that girl. 

“I think Nino is really concerned by your… condition. I mean, they say you can die and...” Adrien stopped himself when he saw Marinette flinched. 

“Are you okay? Mari?” He asked, sitting next to her. 

She stayed still, unsure about what she was supposed to do. Alya told her she should try saying the truth to Adrien, that it maybe could stop the disease from spreading. But she wasn’t convinced at all, mainly because she already knew about Adrien’s feeling about her. And if he  _did_ reciprocate her feelings, she feared it would be out of pity, because he didn’t want to see her die. 

She felt confused, because she didn’t know what to do. Frustrated, because she knew she had to tell him, somehow. Scared, because he would reject her. 

Suddenly, she coughed again, flowers dropping of her mouth. Adrien rubbed her back, just like Alya did earlier, but Marinette couldn’t care less. The pain was even worse than before, adding an aching in her chest. She wouldn’t last long like this. She realise that, and her heart sank. She was going to die. 

“Mari? Can you hear me?”

She nodded again. She heard him sigh in relief. 

“It’s hard to believe that you have an unrequited love, Mari. You’re so adorable, how someone could _not_ love you?” He said, surely trying to comfort her. 

She sighed, and her voice sounded sad. 

“Because he doesn’t see me that way. I’m just a friend for him...” She whispered. 

“Well, that guy is an idiot. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”Adrien grumbled, looking upset.

“You don’t say.” Marinette huffed. 

Adrien noticed she sounded awfully bitter. Maybe because the guy who got her stuck in that mess was stupid enough to ignore her?

“Do you want me to talk to this guy? Perhaps we could knock some sense into his mind?”

“Good luck with that. I’ve been in love with him for a year without him noticing anything.” 

The boy did look genuinely shocked, which kinda hurt Marinette. How could he  _not_ notice her? That was so  _obvious_ she was head over heels for him! 

She sighed, defeated. And she felt even worse, for the way she talked  _about_ him in  _front of_ him. 

Somehow, she had enough. She wanted to say it. She  _had_ to say it, even if it was the last stupid thing she would do. 

She cleared her throat again, provoking another aching pain. 

“Adrien, there’s something I wanted to told you.”

He turned to her, eyes questioning. She avoided his gaze. That was harder than she thought. 

Did she had to do this? 

“In fact… the boy I’m in love with… It’s… you...”

She felt the burn of the blush spreading to her face, and the scorch in her chest. When she dared raise her head, what she saw froze her heart. 

He was in an awe, completely caught by surprise. And not in a good way. He looked confused for a moment, but quickly regained control on himself. He took her hand, held it tight. But his eyes were sad. 

“Mari… I’m sorry… I wish I could returned your feelings… but I’m in love with someone else...” 

The girl closed her eyes, the revelation hitting her heart. She wished she could’ve take it, if only time wasn’t pressing her. She let go of his hands, giving a defeated smile. 

“I was out if my league and I knew it. I’m really sorry, Adrien, I should’ve let you out of this. I’m sorry.”

She stood up, and ran away. She didn’t stop when Adrien called her back, when Alya and Nino spotted her leaving the school. Her tears were burning her cheeks, burning the last remnant of her hopes. She couldn’t blame Adrien, boy, she couldn't. He never asked for this, and she still pushed it onto him. 

A sudden –and now familiar- pain tightened her chest, and she coughed. Flowers were raining out her mouth, tainted with blood. That was it. Her time was running out. 

So she ran, as fast as she could, as far as her mind led her. She was going to die anyway. 

Nothing could save her now. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of this story.  
> The hanahaki disease. Will it kill that lovely girl ? Or will she be saved by her knight ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That story killed me. I cried all over that chapter.  
> So I'm sorry if there is any mistake, but you can report it to me  
> And now I'm going to cry myself to sleep, thank you

Marinette had to stop at the Tuileries’ gardens, because her lungs were torturing her. She spat blood already, perfectly aware of the stupidity of her actions. She could almost feel the roots crawling their way into her chest. A petal slipped through her sealed lips, and she quickly took it off her face. There wasn’t too much people for once, so she could let herself fall onto an empty bench.

Some crows flew around, looking for leftovers. The girl always found these birds fascinating. She could watch them all day. They were kinda ridiculous, hopping on such shorts paws. And they only flew when someone was scaring them. But they were so used to human’s presence that it didn’t bothered the birds anymore…

From her spot, she could the circle fountain, rumbling softly in the background. Further away, some couples were resting in benches scattered all over the park. Marinette winced, as her heart tightened. That would be something she would never know. And she hated it so much that she couldn’t bear the sadness.

The little kwami popped out her satchel, looking desperate.

“You can’t give up yet, Marinette.” Tikki scolded her gently.

“Oh yeah? Why not?” The girl hissed.

“Because people love you, and they still need you.”

“Yeah, they need _Ladybug_.” She said bitterly.

“And what about your parents?” Tikki replied, staring at Marinette with concern in her big eyes.

That fact hit the girl stronger than she would’ve thought it would.

“That’s right, I… I… They don’t know… I didn’t tell them…” She gasped, searching for her phone.

And with a smile, Tikki handed the phone to her charge.

Missed calls. A lot of them. From her parents, Alya, Nino… even Adrien.

Marinette dialed the bakery’s number, hoping to get her mother. And she didn’t wait long. After two beeps, someone picked the phone.

“Yes?”

“Maman? It’s me.”

“Oh Marinette! Where are you? Alya called us, she was so panicked, she said you disappeared from school! What happened?” Her mother barely breathed between each sentences, and it made the girl smile. A sad smile, though.

“I’m at the Tuileries. I needed fresh air. I’m sorry I didn’t… I’m sorry I didn’t say anything.”

“It’s alright, _ma chérie_ , you’re gonna be fine. Your father is gonna pick you up and...”

“Maman? I… I have the disease. The one that akuma spread yesterday. I.. I’ve been hit and...”

“Marinette?”

“Mom… I’m throwing up flowers… and there is blood on it now… I’m scared...” The girl broke down in tears. Tikki pated her hand, comforting presence.

At the other end of the line, Sabine took a deep breath. When she talked, her voice sounded determined.

“Marinette, listen to me. Your father is on the way, wait for him. We’ll find a solution. Okay, Marinette? We’ll find a cure, a remedy, anything. We’ll help you, I promise.”

“Mom...”

“Hang on, _ma fille_. I love you. I’ll always love you, you hear me?”

“Mhm. I love you too. I really love you, Maman.”

“Okay, you want to stay on phone while your father….”

A sudden explosion nearby prevented Marinette from hearing more. She quickly hid behind a tree, tried to look from where the sound came. Of course, an akuma.

And luckily for Marinette, it was Flowerdoom.

“Marinette? What was that? Are you safe?” Her mother shouted from the phone.

“Mom, I have to go. I love you.” The girl said, and hung up. “Tikki. I’m gonna fight. I have to beat her.”

“Yes.” The kwami nodded, satisfied and relieved.

“Tikki, spots on!”

The transformation worked perfectly, even easing the pain from her chest. She could put a decent fight, now.

Ladybud stepped on the open space of the gardens, near the fountain. This time, she didn’t try to surprise the akuma. She wanted to faced her head-on this time. Flowerdoom saw that, and grinned.

“So, our dear Ladybug is not heartbroken? How disappointing. I was expecting some blood by now.”

“Or maybe you just miscalculated.”

Swinging her yo-yo, Ladybug aimed at the girl, just to see it the storm would follow. And of course, the wind stopped her move even before it reached the akuma.

“I don’t see your alley cat today either? Did you lost him?”

“NOT BY A LONG SHOT!” Someone screamed.

The akuma girl barely dodged the staff that was flying to her, as Chat Noir landed next to Ladybug.

He caught up his weapon, turned to his partner.

“We have to beat her fast. One of my friends have been infected by the disease.” He said, looking very upset. She stared at him, curious and kinda moved.

“One of…?”

“Ladybug! Watch out!”

He pushed her out of the way before the spear made out of thorns hit her. That was an impressive weapon, but it was restraining Flowerdoom’s moves. She could only attacked them at a long range with that.

 _S trange, she didn’t use that yesterday… Something’s off…_ Ladybug thought, dodging another swing at her.

The akuma didn’t let them rest, attacked them relentless, mainly focused on bringing Ladybug down. Noticing that, Chat protected his partner by taking the lead of the fight, drawing all the attention to him, thanks to his sassy comments.

“Hey, Flower _gloom_ , how about you dance with me? I feel _leaf_ out here.”

“Oh my, girl, you got to _grow_ a little faster if you want to be able to attack me someday.”

“Are you _sp_ _rout_ ing now? Not _mature_ enough to keep up with me?”

Of course, it got Flowerdoom to get irritate over it. For a moment, she forgot about Ladybug, and tried to get Chat Noir. Which was far harder than she thought.

But Ladybug was wary, something was wrong. Where was the petal’s tornado that girl had before? Did she ran out of petal to strangle people with? Or was it gone somewhere else?

She scanned the place around them, looking for any clue. From the corner of her eye, she could see that Chat was still taunting the akuma, keeping her occupied and focused on him. So Ladybug was able to move freely, and she wasn’t going to waste that chance. She could either choose to go look for the petal storm, or take the earrings and destroy them. The Lucky Charm might be useful, but she couldn’t make it without being loud, and that would waste all Chat’s efforts.

As she debated which way was better, Chat Noir was still fighting Flowardoom, without showing any sign of exhaustion. Somehow, his guilt and anger fueled him with a strength he never thought he had.

He _had to_ save Marinette. He couldn’t let her die without trying to fix the things between them. Even if he couldn’t return her feelings, he wanted her to know that he still cared deeply for her, as a very dear friend. So he was going to beat that akuma, and Ladybug would fix all this mess. The disease gone, he would beg for Marinette’s forgiveness, if he had to.

He swung his staff against her spear, finding quite weird the way she was using it. She was only using the blade, rather as a pike than a staff. Obviously, or the girl was underestimate her own weapon, or… Well, Chat didn’t have a good feeling about this.

After another blow, he managed to get Flowerdoom to her knees. And Ladybug was nowhere to be seen. That was… unsettling. He broke the spear in two, keeping an eye on the akumatized girl.

“Ladybug?” He called, feeling more and more anxious.

No answer. He decided to bet on security, and took off the earrings from the girl. He noticed them before, and expected Ladybug to take them while he distracted her. But Ladybug disappeared, and he couldn’t let the girl provoking trouble again. As he watched her turn back, he barely spared her a glance. He put the earrings in his pocket, hoping it wouldn’t be for too long.

“Wh-Where am I? What happened?”

Chat sighed.

“You were akumatized. And you spread a deadly disease.”

That one was nasty, but he needed to get him out of his chest. Blaming the girl was stupid, but he couldn’t shake the guilt, so he wanted to take it on someone.

He left the girl to look for his lady, hoping that she was alright. He tried to call her on her yo-yo phone, but to no avail. He felt the panic rose in his heart. She couldn’t be… Unable to wait any longer, he activated the tracker on his staff, so he could locate her.

And surprisingly enough, she was on a rooftop, near the Tuileries’ palace. He raced there, didn’t care about the crowd that spotted him. He had a very bad feeling, and needed to be by his lady’s side as fast as he could.

When he arrived at the place, what he saw broke his heart.

Flowers. Flowers and petals scattered all around. Ripped into harmless pieces of plants, they were all over the rooftop, as if someone created a giant blanket made of flowers. On the another day, Chat could have find this beautiful. All these colors, brought together in a huge piece of natural art.

But not right now. Not now that he spotted blood on it.

“My lady? Where are you?” He shouted, freaked out.

He heard a weak moan, and his cat’s ears flinched. He followed the sound, the bad feeling only getting heavier as he approached the place where - _he knew_ \- he would find his dear Lady.

He hurried there, his heart beating like crazy. She was huddled behind a big parasol, probably taken from one of the house nearby. It was in a very bad state, the fabric was torn in several point, and one of the branch was broken.

“Ladybug...”

That’s when he heard her cough. She coughed until she choke, and spilled flowers and blood together. Chat froze on his spot, completely stunned. She threw up more flowers before he could react. He knelt before her, rubbed her back softly.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He whispered, a deep sadness in his voice.

“Couldn’t… had to fight… Needed to destroy the storm… before she could use it...”

Because Ladybug’s instinct was right. Flowerdoom had “stored” her storm somewhere, waiting to unleashed it once again. She had be collecting flowers all this time, and was ready to spread the disease even further. So Ladybug, trying to find a good hiding spot so she could summon the Lucky Charm, happened to find this flower stock, and decided to destroy it first. But she hadn’t be able to do much more, because her chest got even more painful, and her throat was burning. She threw up so many flowers that she wasn’t sure which were Flowerdoom’s or hers.

And after that, she couldn’t remember what happened.

“Chat...” She breathed.

“It’s fine, Ladybug. I have the akuma’s earrings.”

“Good… I need to...”

“No! You have to rest! We’ll do this later!”

“Chat… there is no time… I need to do this fast...”

She coughed again, only blood this time.

“Let me… do this… Chat… please?”

It was too late. Somehow, she didn’t voice it, but Chat got it pretty clearly. He helped her getting on her feet. He lend her his arm so she could lean on him. He took out the earrings, broke them, and let the purple butterfly escaped. Of course, Ladybug was fast enough to catch it and purify it.

But as they were so close from each other, Chat Noir could feel how cold she was.

Then she cast the Lucky Charm, and the object which fell into her hands was the most unexpected one. It was a _lucky charm_. Almost the same that she gave to Adrien, a year ago. That made her chuckle. He, on the other hand, felt guilty. And strangely curious, too. Why would the Lucky Charm take this form, specifically?

“That is so stupid, Chat.” She whispered, looking at the charm with wet eyes.

“What is?”

“Love. Love is stupid.”

She started to cough again, very badly. A lot of flowers rained down, along with a dark blood.

“I need to… the Miraculous...”

“I’ll help you.”

He held her arm, threw the charm in the air, and let her do the spell. But her voice was dying, and he feared that it wouldn’t be enough. But the charm turned into the ladybugs cloud he always knew.

That was when she slipped, almost fell on the ground covered by ripped flowers. He caught her in time, lay her down gently.

“It’s gonna be alright now. You will be cured and...”

Suddenly, he realised that her eyes were closed. A soft smile was spreading her lips. Her earrings beeped.

“I’m sorry, Chat… I wish I was... stronger, but...”

“Don’t say that! Ladybug, don’t leave me!”

“You’ll be... fine... _chaton_.”

“No, don’t… please don’t...”

She opened her eyes slowly, even if it costed her much.

“Promise me… you’ll take care… of yourself...”

He shook his head vividly, his eyes red and tears dropping on his sweet face.

“Please… promise...”

“Ladybug, please. You… You can’t leave me… Not you too...”

The beeped intensified, and suddenly, a flashing red light blinded the boy. When he opened his eyes again, he could see the little kwami floating in front of him. When Tikki spoke, her voice was broken.

“You can release your transformation, boy. Let her go in peace.”

“Claws in.” He said without any hesitation.

Then, after the green flash, his eyes fell back to his lady.

And this time, his heart definitely broke.

That was Marinette. All this time. That was her and he didn’t even notice!

His tears flew even more, falling right onto her cheeks.

She was looking at him as if he was the sun. Bright, brillant, shiny. Mesmerizing. Lovely.

She rose her hand, caressed his wet cheeks. He held it tightly, pressed into her contact.

“If only… I knew...” She whispered, looking at him with so much love and adoration that it almost killed him.

“I’m an idiot, Marinette. Please don’t leave me, I need you...”

“I’ll never leave you… Adrien… because I… love…”

Her hand lost its grip on him, her arm slightly fell.

Her breathing stopped.

Her heart froze.

The boy screamed. So loud, that his throat became painful. The red kwami flew to the girl, closed her eyes. The black kwami helped her, and hugged her tightly, as she broke into tears.

Adrien held the lifeless body of Marinette, as if he could bring her back. He whispered pleading words to her deaf ears, begging her to come back. He apologised a hundred times, swore his love for her a thousand.

But nothing. She was gone.

He cried over her until the sun set red.

 

When morning came, Adrien brought back Marinette to her parents. They cried all the tears they had. Sabine hugged Adrien tightly, telling words he didn’t pay attention to.

Because the only words he wanted to hear were gone.

Gone forever, with the girl he once loved.


	4. Alternative ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is another possible end to my story  
> One where it could end well for the two kids  
> Please be happy TuT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is an alternative ending, because I'm a sucker for happy ending. And cuteness.

Marinette didn’t run as far as she wanted to. Her lungs were burning so painfully in her chest that she could barely breathe. That was a stupid idea. She wished she could die at the moment.

Was it the shame talking? Or the anger? She knew it wouldn’t work anyway.

She wandered near Notre Dame, walking in the shadows of the building. She used to love this place, as a child. Because it was huge, imposing, but also filled with a peace that she couldn’t quite describe. A peace she wanted to feel, she thought.

She sat on a low wall, on the sides of the square, feeling tired. Well, she could be. She let her head down, her hands against her face.

She had been so selfish. Adrien knew what was happening to her, he knew how this could _end_ , and still, she pushed her confession, just because she wanted to believe. And now it was even worse, since she learned that _another_ girl was involved. That was even more painful.

She didn’t held back her tears, hid behind her hands. She wanted to cry, let everything go, and…

What could come next? Was she going to die now?

Suddenly, she felt a little movement in her satchel, and she flinched. Her red, wet eyes fell into two sapphire, filled with compassion and kindness.

She had totally forgot about Tikki. Her mind was so focus on her incoming agony, that she actually neglected her kwami. She put her left hand against the bag, letting know to her little companion she remembered she was here.

“I know it’s hard for you, Marinette. I wished I could help you, but the only thing that can be done now, it’s to catch that akuma and purify it. Surely it can cure that disease.”

“I should have done this from the start. I’m sorry, Tikki, I really messed up this time...”

“It’s alright, Marinette, you can do it. I believe in you.”

The little goddess cuddled against the girl’s hand, letting her feel her presence. Marinette stood up, looked around to find a place where she could transform. She walked into an empty alley, and said the words.

“Tikki, spots on.”

“With pleasure!”

And with a red flash, she was Ladybug again. She didn’t lose one second, and swung her yo-yo to the nearest rooftop, and began her chase. Her heart was still aching, but she knew it would get better.

 

At the school, Adrien, feeling totally depressed, stayed in the locker room. When Nino and Alya saw Marinette running away, they immediately understood what happened. Needless to say, Nino felt sorry for his friend, but Alya… well the girl was furious.

She rushed back to locker room, just to find Adrien dumbstruck. That infuriated her even more, and she didn’t think twice before slapping him on the face.

“She is dying for an unrequited love, and the only thing you thing you do is breaking her heart even more? _What is wrong with you_?” She screamed at him, just before giving him another hit.

“Hey Alya! Stop that!” Nino shouted, grabbing her by the arms.

“She’s going to die! MARINETTE IS GOING TO DIE AND HE REJECTED HER!”

Alya kept on screaming words, Nino trying to calm her down. Adrien didn’t really listen to them anymore. Adrien couldn’t find the strength to answer anyway. Sure, his cheeks were burning, but that was nothing compared to the pain in his chest. As if his heart was twisted by invisible hands. He needed to find the girl right now. He needed to apologise. He would beg for her to forgive him, if he had to.

That’s when he stood up, he looked so determined that Nino and Alya stopped arguing right away. He walked through them as if they weren’t here anymore, and left the school. He knew he wouldn’t find her as Adrien, so he ran in a deserted street and called out Plagg.

“Now what, kid? Are you gonna look for her?”

“Plagg, claws out.” Adrien said without answering to his kwami.

And right after the transformation finished, Chat Noir jumped to the building next to him. He started running, looking everywhere.

He had to find her.

 

Somewhere else in Paris, Ladybug was jumping around, her mind alert. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. She rushed to the Eiffel Tower, so she could see further. Flowerdoom had been strangely quiet since her first attack, and it was kind of nerve-racking. Something was going to happen, and Ladybug didn’t like that bad feeling. She wished that Chat was here, because his vision was better than hers.

Just when she thought this, she heard a familiar “bump” behind her.

“Right on time, Kitty.” She smiled at him.

But he didn’t smile back, his attention on the horizon in front of them.

“Did you find the akuma girl?” He said, and his voice sounded angry.

“Not yet, I was hoping you would see her faster than me from here.”

He nodded, and began to scan the surrounding area. But something was strange about him, Ladybug could see that.

“Chat, did something happened? You look upset.”

“I messed up. One of my friend has been contaminate by that disease, and I rejected her like an idiot.”

“Oh… I’m sorry...”

“We need to find Flowerdoom quickly, so you can cure everyone.”

She didn’t remember a moment where he had been that much upset over someone. Not even Chloe could annoy him. Which was impressing. So that friend he mentioned must have been important for him.

“Don’t worry, Chat. We’ll save your friend.”

“Hmmm.”

And that was the first time he didn’t flirt with her, all his mind focused on the task at hand. Ladybug thought that this friend was a very lucky person.

She got up, stretching her limbs. The aching was stable with the suit, and she thanked Tikki for that. But she feared that her throat might be a problem. If she started throwing up flowers in the middle of the fight, she might become a burden for him. She _had_ to tell him. But he was already suffering and… well she didn’t want to worsen the situation. However, she owned him the truth.

“Chat… I… there is something you might need to know...”

“Yeah?” He said, still focused on his search.

“I… well, I got the disease too...” Ladybug whispered, knowing he would still be able to hear her.

His cat’s ears flinched, and he turned around to look at her.

“ _W.H.A.T?”_ He really tried his best not to shout it, only managed to hiss it through his teeth.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to hide it from you… I know it’s already hard enough with your friend and...”

He walked straight to her, put his hands on her shoulders, and looked her right into her eyes.

“Ladybug, it’s gonna be alright. Don’t be reckless, stay behind me. I’ve got this.” He said, determination in his eyes.

She nodded. Deep relief overwhelmed her, and she almost spilled some tears. He was with her.

“The… The akuma is in the girl’s earrings. I saw them yesterday, but I couldn’t get them.”

“Well, she won’t see you coming this time. I’m gonna make her freak out so much, she won’t even notice you.”

“Hehe, right.”

He finally smiled. She could see his worry still lingering in his eyes, despite his assurance. He released her, and went back to scanning the city.

“I hope she’ll show herself soon… We can’t afford to wait this time...”

And just as he finished that sentence, a huge storm appeared in the Tuileries’ gardens, right behind them.

“Oh, looks like the cat is out of the bag, uh?” He chuckled.

“Seriously?” Ladybug sighed, annoyed.

Chat smiled at her, grinning, and then jumped from the tower, heading to the gardens. She watched him rushing there, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart. The aching was still strong, though.

 

Flowerdoom was wreaking havoc in the gardens, using sharp gusts to cut the trees, and find any people who would hide there. She seemed to have fun terrorising everyone, now that the news about her disease had been revealed. She wasn’t even trying to hide anymore, which made her careless. Chat Noir landed behind her, a cheeky grin on his lips. He didn’t intent to go savage on this girl, but because of her, two close friends were dying. He wasn’t going to take it easy on that one.

He took his staff, and tried to attack her. He managed to hit her in the back, much to her surprise.

“Wh-?! Well, if it isn’t the mangy alley cat ! Where’s your precious bug?”

“What? I’m not enough for you? Greedy, aren’t you now?”

“If you give me your miraculous, I might healed the people I hurt. What about that?” Flowerdoom sneered.

“No way. Keep your lies to yourself.”

And he attacked her again. But this time, she blocked his staff with a spear made of thorns. With a swing, she send him away, and with a sharp move, she unleashed the storm on him. He successfully avoid the hit, kept his mouth shut and destroyed any petal going near him.

 _So the spear controls the storm. Interesting._ Ladybug thought, watching the fight from a safe point.

Now that Flowerdoom was all focused on Chat, Ladybug could move freely, but she had to be careful. If the girl was a problem, that gust of petal was too. They needed to destroy her spear first.

So, leaving her hideout, Ladybug swung her yo-yo around the girl, preventing her to make any move.

“Now, Chat! Her spear!”

He nodded, and summoned his Cataclysm. He took the spear from the girl’s hands, and reduced it to dust. The storm didn’t disappear though, but froze instead. It suddenly stopped moving, as if the will controlling it was gone. Flowerdoom was dumbstruck, looking furious that Chat destroyed her weapon. She started to struggling to break free from the yo-yo, and Ladybug rushed to her. She took off the earrings, and crushed them under her feet. The purple butterfly escaped, but Ladybug was quick to catch it and purify it. The girl turned back to normal, confused and lost.

But there was no time to comfort her.

“Ladybug, what about the Miraculous? You didn’t summoned any Lucky Charm...” Chat said.

“Yeah...”

At that moment, she started to cough, spilled flowers tainted with blood.

“Shit!” Chat cursed.

He didn’t wait for her to recover, and took her in his arms. He ran away from the gardens, went to a safe place. He chose a rooftop that look empty, and landed there. He held his Lady against him, in a sitting position, so she wouldn’t choke while throwing up.

Ladybug hadn’t stop coughing, much to her dismay. The flowers just kept raining out her mouth, and she prayed for it to stop soon. Chat went awfully silent, just rubbed her back while she was throwing up. After a few seconds, it finally ended, and she could breathe again.

“That’s… _horrible_...” She whispered, her voice still hoarse.

“Do you think you can summoned the Lucky Charm? I don’t want to see you suffer any longer...”

“Y-yeah, I think I can...”

He helped her getting on her feet, but her balance was still off, and she tripped. He was still holding her hands, so she didn’t fall. He asked her silently if she was okay, and she nodded as an answer. She needed to do this. She _had_ to.

“Okay...” She said, taking a deep breath. “Lucky Charm!”

Her yo-yo shined, and the little cloud of ladybugs appeared. They released a little object, one that Ladybug recognise right away when it fell in her hands.

“A… lucky charm?” She said softly.

It was the one Adrien made for her birthday. In red with black spots. But it was basically the same charm. That made her chuckled. Chat frowned, because he recognised the object too, but couldn’t understand why it was here.

“Hey, Chat…”

“What?”

“This is stupid.” She whispered. “Love is stupid, blind and selfish. But I’ll never regret it. I confessed to him today, and even if it was a bad moment, I don’t regret it at all. It’s just as if a weigh has been lifted from my heart, somehow.”

“What do you...”

She tossed the object above them, and cast the Miraculous. The gigantic cloud of ladybugs spread all over the city, sliding through the streets to repair all the damage Flowerdoom had done.

“It’s gonna be fine now, Chaton. Your friend will be fine.” Ladybug said before turning to him.

He looked in the distance, a sad smile on his face.

“Not so sure about that. I _did_ rejected her. She’s gonna hate me for that.”

“If she’s your friend, she’ll understand.”

“Maybe...” He sighed.

A ray of light struck Ladybug in the back, before vanishing in the air. A sudden pain hit Ladybug in the chest, and she screamed weakly. She fell on her knees, holding her throat. The sound alerted Chat, who immediately rushed to her side.

“How?! You’re supposed to be healed now!”

“I.. don’t know… ”

“Ladybug, don’t...Please don’t leave...”

“I… won’t...”

Her earrings beeped, insistent, just a moment before her transformation ran out. Chat closed his eyes right away, almost without thinking. He heard someone shout, with a high-pitch voice he didn’t recognise.

“Oh thank gods, she only fainted… I thought she…” The voice said.

His eyes still closed, Chat wondered if he should panic or not.

“Uuuh, what’s going on?” He asked, cautiously.

“Oh, hum… Ladybug fainted, but she’ll be alright. She went through a lot...”

“And you are…?”

“Her Kwami. I’m Tikki. Nice to meet you, Chat Noir.”

“Uh, same, I guess?”

The little goddess chuckled.

“It’s okay, Adrien. You can release Plagg. He must be tired after all this.”

“Uh?! How did you…?”

“Since Dark Owl, remember? I couldn't tell M...my charge, but I did saw you back then.”

“Oh… right...”

“So be at ease, your secret is safe with me.”

“But what about Ladybug?”

“Plagg and I are gonna cover her with a blanket. There is one on these sunbeds. Don’t worry, you won’t be able to see her.”

The boy wanted to tell her he wouldn’t have mind seeing her, but he had to respect her wish to keep her identity secret… So he would comply… for now.

“Claws in.” He said, and he felt the strength leaving him.

Soon after, Plagg escaped the ring, already complaining.

“Kid, did you really need to do all that?”

“Come on, Plagg. He did his job, after all. He deserves a little appreciation, don’t you think?” Tikki laughed.

Adrien just sighed, hearing Plagg pout.

The kwamis covered the unconscious Marinette with a blanket, so Adrien could open his eyes while staying beside her. Tikki took a treat from the girl’s satchel, even shared it with Plagg. Adrien said nothing, waiting for his Lady to wake up. Which left him time to think.

The lucky charm took the same form that the one he gave to Marinette to her birthday. And oddly enough, Ladybug seemed to know that charm. It even made her smile. And what did she said about it?

_Love is stupid, blind and selfish. But I’ll never regret it._

Regret? What could she possibly regret? And what about the charm, again? Why would she recognise it?

All these thoughts made him dizzy. He couldn’t think straight anymore. He wished that Ladybug was trusting him enough to tell him about the charm, but he knew she wouldn’t. That made him sigh again, as his eyes fell on the human form covered by a white blanket. He leaned on, kissed her on the head, and turned back.

The two kwamis giggled softly, watching the scene for afar.

 

A few moments later, Marinette woke up. She was confused, unsure about where she was supposed to be. That was when she spotted the kwamis in front of her.

_Wait. There is two of them?!_

Tikki was cuddling with another kwami, a black one, very similar to a cat. They were sleeping on a corner of the blanket they used to cover her. She smiled warmly, deeply touched. She then felt something in her back, moving softly. As if someone was lying down behind her. Someone who felt her moving.

“Ladybug? You’re awake?”

“Chat? Is… is that you?”

“Yes. Don’t have my whiskers at that moment, but I can still say _fur_ sure it’s me.”

“Oh my god, Chat. That was...”

“ _Claw_ some? I know, right?”

She laughed, and then realise the pain was gone. Her throat, her chest, were free from the aching. She could finally breathe.

“Are you okay?” Chat asked, because she went silent.

“Y-yes, I am! No pain anymore. I’m fine.”

“Good to hear.” He sighed, relieved.

“And you? You didn’t transform back?”

“I couldn’t leave you alone. And my kwami complained he needed to sleep before doing anything else.”

She giggled, amused by Chat’s annoyed tone. Hearing her laugh made him smile. She was alright. His Lady was alive, and breathing. That thought gave him intense relief.

Which lead him to think about the other girl hit by the disease. I really hoped he could patch things up with Marinette. He had never wanted to hurt her, and he rejected her the worst possible way.

He sighed again, and Marinette frowned.

“Is everything alright?”

“Not really… I’m worry about my friend. She’s adorable and sweet, and I feel guilty about rejecting her the way I did… I hope she’ll forgive me.”

“Well, don’t go talking to her with your awful puns, and it should be fine.”

“ _Meow_ uch, my Lady, that hurts.”

“Serves you right, you heartbreaker.”

He burst into laughter, the relief finally kicking in. She was right, he could still fix the mess he made. That you surely getting another slap from Alya, but he’ll manage.

“Thanks, Bugaboo. I appreciate the advice.”

“You’re welcome, Kitty.”

Suddenly, something came back to Adrien’s mind.

“Say, Ladybug… About the Lucky Charm…” He began, unsure how to say this.

“Yeah?”

“What was it about? It looked like you knew that object…”

“Oh, uuuuuh...” She hesitated, before taking a deep breath. Could she tell him? It wasn’t like that would revealed anything but… She sighed.

“That charm… I received it as a gift for my birthday. And the one who gave it was the boy I love. Pretty stupid, uh?”

Chat jumped on his feet, freaked out. The movement startled Marinette, who didn’t know what to do.

“Chat, what…?”

“Marinette?”

Hearing her name stupefied her.

_How did he…_

“Marinette, is that you?” Chat asked again, his voice trembling.

She stood up slowly, her heart beating like crazy in her chest. She was still holding the blanket around her, as the last shield she could hold on to at this moment. She turned around, to face him.

She was scared, _how did he guessed?_ , and could barely move. But he didn’t ask her to rush, he waited for her. Again, he always left her the choice. Not that he could move either, by the way.

When the strength to face him struck her, Marinette lost her mind. Her grip on the blanket loosened, and the fabric fell on the ground.

Adrien was in an awe, quite the same astonishment she was feeling right now. She couldn’t even talk. She just stared at him, her eyes shining as if he was the sun.

Because he was looking at her as if she was _his_ sun. As if he was seeing her for the first time.

“Mari… I… I can’t… I’m so sorry… I didn’t… _Why I didn’t realise this sooner_?”

“Adrien? How… Since the… beginning… it was… you?”

He walked to her, hugged her tightly. She stiffened at his contact at first. But when she felt his arms clinging to her jacket on her back, she curled up against him. He was shaking, from the shock or the relief, she couldn’t tell, but she didn’t let go. She couldn’t, not anymore.

“If only I realise… that the girl I loved and my friend were the exact same person, none of this would’ve ever happened.” He cried against her shoulder.

“The… girl you _loved_?”

He chuckled, slightly leaned back, so he could see her face. For a moment, he lost himself in her beautiful sapphire eyes.

“Yeah. I loved Ladybug. I was lingering to the perfect image I made of her in my mind, and couldn’t let go. I was stupid.”

“Hehe, not really. I’ve always seen the perfect model boy in you. Never thought you could be such a dork with a mask, though.” She chuckled.

“Oh come on. You love my puns.”

“Much to my dismay. I don’t know how I came to tolerate them.” She huffed, amused.

He smiled proudly to that, bright as the sun. She touched his cheek, a soft contact that made him shivered.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Chaton… If she did hurt you, or even contaminate you, I… I would’ve gone crazy.”

“And she almost killed you. How do you think I felt? In… both cases.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to push it onto you, I was just hoping it would… work...”

He took her hands between his, planted a kiss on her fingers.

“Will you forgive for being the biggest idiot in the world?”

“There is nothing to forgive, Adrien. I understand. I love you, so I understand.”

He blushed so hard to her sincerity, her heart actually missed a beat. But Chat showed again, and he grinned.

“Now that I think about it, it’s the first time you’re talking to me without stuttering. Did the cat got back your tongue?”

“You should know it better, you’re the cat.”

And he laugh again, bringing her back into his embrace, hugging tightly.

Behind them, the two kwamis bumped their little fists, looking satisfied.

 

Later, when the two came back to the bakery, they were welcomed by Marinette’s parents, hugging each of them so hard they could barely breathe. But as Marinette and Adrien looked each other, their lips broke into the same smile. Everything would be fine, now. They were together, and no one could stop them anymore from being together.

 

When they finally got to be alone, after telling everyone they were safe, Adrien and Marinette went to the balcony. The girl brought the biggest blanket she had, and they curled up inside the fluffy cocoon, sitting on the ground. They looked up at the sky, just appreciating each other’s contact.

“By the way, Alya slapped me. Twice.”

“Yikes, must have hurt.”

“Pretty much, yeah. She was worry about you, I can’t blame her.”

“Still, she’s gonna have a piece of my mind about this.”

The boy laughed, amused by Marinette’s serious voice.

“My, you sound dangerous, now?” He teased her.

She turned back to him, a grin on her lips.

“You know better than anyone that I kick her ass.”

“Yeah, that is for sure.” He chuckled.

She smiled, and her eyes sparkled. She was happy, relieved to be alive. And most of all, she was _loved_. When she leaned to Adrien, he was smiling to. As his hand was brushing her hair, their lips met, a burning touch they never felt before. At fist, it was both awkward and embarrassing, but the more the kiss lasted, the more the flames lingered on their skin. And when they finally separate, Adrien whispered to Marinette.

“I love you, Marinette. Your entire being. Let me stay by your side, even if I’m a huge, oblivious idiot.”

“Or course, Adrien Agreste. That would be my greatest pleasure to have the boy I love beside me.”

They both laughed. They stayed like this until the sky set red. The sun was vanishing in the horizon, far away, but they couldn’t care less.

Because the only sun they wanted in their life was just in front of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Any comments are welcomed, thank you for reading !


End file.
